Riparian Habitat Joint Venture
Announcement
Riparian Habitat Joint Venture Conference: Integrating Riparian
Habitat Conservation & Flood Management in California
December 4-6, 2007; the Radisson Hotel, in Sacramento,
California
Please click here
for more information.
Introduction
California Partners in Flight (CalPIF) initiated the Riparian
Habitat Joint Venture (RHJV) project in 1994. To date, eighteen
federal, state and private organizations have signed the landmark
Cooperative Agreement to protect and enhance habitats for native
landbirds throughout California. The RHJV, modeled after the successful
Joint Venture projects of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan,
reinforces other collaborative efforts currently underway which protect
biodiversity and enhance natural resources as well as the human element
they support.
Riparian habitats were a clear first priority for a CalPIF Joint
Venture because they have the highest diversity and productivity of
landbirds of any terrestrial habitat type in the western United States.
Deciduous riparian forests, comprised mostly of willow, alder,
cottonwood and dense undergrowth bordering streams and lakes, have
largely been lost to stream channelization, development, logging,
grazing and water diversion throughout the west. Only 5% to 10% of
California’s original (pre-European contact) riparian habitat exists
today and much of the remaining habitat is in a degraded condition.
What is Riparian Habitat?
Riparian habitats are
those plant communities supporting woody vegetation found along rivers,
creeks and streams. Riparian habitat can range from a dense thicket of
shrubs to a closed canopy of large mature trees covered by vines.
Riparian systems are one of our most important and most neglected,
renewable natural resources. While small in total area when compared to
California’s size, they are of special value as wildlife habitat. Over
135 species of California birds such as the Willow Flycatcher,
Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Red-shouldered Hawk either completely depend
upon riparian habitats or use them preferentially at some stage of
their life history. Riparian habitat provides food, nesting habitat,
cover, and migration corridors. Another 90 species of mammals,
reptiles, invertebrates and amphibians such as California red-legged
frog, Valley elderberry longhorn beetle and riparian brush rabbit
depend on California’s riparian habitats. Riparian habitat also
provides riverbank protection, erosion control and improved water
quality, as well as numerous recreational and aesthetic values.
RHJV Goals and
Objectives
The vision of the RHJV is to restore, enhance, and protect a network of functioning riparian habitat across California to support the long-term viability of landbirds and other species. A wide variety of other species of plants and animals will benefit through the protection of forests along our rivers, streams and lakes. The RHJV mission is to provide leadership and guidance to promote the effective conservation and restoration of riparian habitats in California through the following goals:
1. Identify and develop technical information based on sound science
for a strategic approach to conserving and restoring riparian areas in
California.
2. Promote and support riparian conservation on the ground by providing
guidance, technical assistance and a forum for collaboration.
3. Develop and influence riparian policies through outreach and
education.
Riparian Bird Conservation Plan
download the plan (4489 kb pdf)
A
major achievement of the RHJV partnership is the development of a
statewide Riparian Bird Conservation Plan (Conservation Plan) based on
current, scientifically valid data and the collective expertise of the
state’s top ornithologists. This plan is the guidance document for RHJV
riparian conservation and action. The Conservation Plan is based on
fourteen riparian-associated bird species selected to serve as
indicators of a range of natural riparian habitat conditions. It
synthesizes and summarizes current scientific knowledge on the
requirements of the fourteen focal species. It also provides
recommendations for habitat protection, restoration, management,
monitoring, and policy to ensure the long-term persistence of birds and
other wildlife dependent on riparian ecosystems. The Conservation Plan
is a living document which will be improved and updated as new
information becomes available from the field and implemented through
bioregional working groups.
Other major efforts are underway to describe characteristics of
riparian habitat needed to maintain healthy populations of these
species; to identify sites (RHJV Flagship Projects, Portfolio Sites and
new restoration projects) throughout the state key to maintaining
healthy bird populations and serve as "source population" areas; to
develop educational and outreach materials for distribution at our
projects and to train a cadre of volunteers to monitor these sites to
determine their long-term health and viability.
Find out more about the plan here.
RHJV Partners
Partner agencies and
organizations of the RHJV include:
- National Audubon Society
- PRBO Conservation Science
- National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
- The Nature Conservancy
- River Partners
- Trust for Public Land
- The Resources Agency
- California Department of Fish and Game
- Wildlife Conservation Board
- California State Lands Commission
- California Department of Water Resources
- Natural Resource Conservation Service
- U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Bureau of Reclamation
- National Park Service
- U.S. Geological Service
The RHJV Management Board consists of designees from the six
conservation organizations; agencies serve as ex officio advisory
members to the Board.
RHJV Plans and Objectives
The RHJV Strategic Plan articulates the vision, mission, and goals of
the joint venture. It provides a framework for understanding the
long-term goals of the RHJV, and direction for the annual Operating
Plan. Currently we are working on developing quantitative habitat
objectives and priorities to include in the Strategic Plan. The
Operating Plan details the actions the RHJV will undertake annually in
order to move toward achieving the vision, mission, and goals of the
RHJV Strategic Plan. In addition, the Operating Plan identifies
measures of success for each task identified for the current year and
documents achievements. This Plan is updated annually.
Through board meetings, workshops, presentations and networking the
RHJV provides a forum where members, as well as other organizations,
can develop new collaborative opportunities for planning, funding and
implementing riparian conservation projects. The collective knowledge
of our member organizations allows us to take a unified approach to
developing effective standards and guidelines to achieve more
successful riparian conservation across the state. This can include
common definitions and management practices, integrating RHJV
information (i.e. the Riparian Bird Conservation Plan) into the plans
of other management organizations, and providing technical assistance
to improve riparian restoration planning and implementation.
An important objective of the RHJV is to develop a statewide map of
riparian habitat. We have developed a framework for defining and
mapping riparian habitat across California. In 2005/2006 it is being
tested in a pilot mapping project to determine its applicability to
creating the statewide map of riparian habitat. Work on the complete
statewide map is expected to begin in 2007.
Available through
the RHJV
- Riparian Bird Conservation Plan Version 2.0 (2004)
- Faber, P.M. (ed.) 2003 California Riparian Systems: Processes and Floodplains Management, Ecology, and Restoration (2001 Riparian Habitat and Floodplains Conference Proceedings)
- 2004 RHJV Strategic Plan
- 2005/2006 RHJV Operating Plan
Contact Information
Ann Chrisney - Coordinator
Riparian Habitat Joint Venture
3020 State University Drive
Rm 3006 Modoc Hall
Sacramento, CA 95819
PH: 916-278-9428
achrisney@prbo.org
